US 7,520,904 B2Granted

Prosthetic foot with an adjustable ankle and method

AssigneeFreedom Innovations, LLC

InventorRoland J. Christensen

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Abstract

A prosthetic foot with an adjustable ankle includes an upper portion coupled to a socket of an amputee. A lower portion is adjustably coupled to the upper portion, and is attached to a foot member with heel and toe sections. A movable coupling is disposed between the upper and lower portions, and includes a displacement member slidably coupled to a displacement track. The movable coupling allows the toe section to pivot downward and the heel section to simultaneously displace forward. The adjustable ankle can be adjusted with an actuator coupled to a tractor bolt coupled between the upper and lower portions. A sensor is associated with the upper portion or the lower portion to sense frequency of contact, force of contact, or orientation of the upper portion or the lower portion, and to output a corresponding output signal.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An adjustable ankle device for a prosthetic foot, comprising:

a) an upper portion configured to be coupled to a socket of an amputee;
b) a lower portion, adjustably coupled to the upper portion, configured to be attached to a foot member;
c) a movable coupling, disposed between the upper and lower portions, having an arcuate projection slidable in an arcuate slot oriented fore and aft with the arcuate projection having a shape corresponding to the arcuate slot, and defining an arcuate displacement path, such that the projection is constrained to slide fore and aft along the arcuate movement path, to restrict movement to:
i) simultaneously in a downward and forward direction in which the lower portion simultaneously pivots downward and displaces forward relative to the upper portion;
and
ii) simultaneously in a rearward and upward direction in which the lower portion simultaneously pivots upward and displaces rearward relative to the upper portion;
d) an actuator, coupled to the movable coupling, to move the upper and lower portions with respect to one another;
e) a sensor, associated with the upper or lower portions, to sense frequency of contact, force of contact, or orientation of the upper portion or the lower portion, and to output a corresponding output signal;
and
f) a controller, coupled to the actuator and the sensor, to process the output signal of the sensor and engage the actuator in response to the output signal.

7 more elements

A prosthetic foot device with an adjustable ankle, comprising:

a) an attachment member configured to be coupled to a socket of an amputee;
b) a foot member, coupled to and adjustable with respect to the attachment member with an enlarged head of an arcuate projection slidable within a corresponding shaped enlarged cavity of an arcuate slot, and being constrained to fore and aft arcuate displacement with respect to the upper portion, simultaneously in:
i) a downward and forward direction in which the toe section pivots downward and the heel portion simultaneously displaces forward with respect to the attachment member;
and
ii) a rearward and upward direction in which the toe section pivots upward and the heel portion simultaneously displaces rearward with respect to the attachment member;
c) an actuator, operatively coupled to the attachment member and the foot member, to move the attachment member and the foot member with respect to one another;
d) a sensor, associated with the attachment member or the foot member, to sense frequency of contact, force of contact, or orientation of the attachment member or the foot member, and to output a corresponding output signal;
and
e) a controller, coupled to the actuator and the sensor, to process the output signal of the sensor and engage the actuator in response to the output signal.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/254,621Filed 19 Oct 2005 · continuation in part
Priority: 21 Oct 2003
Published: US 2006/0041321 A123 Feb 2006
Granted: 21 Apr 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification33 codes

A61F 2/6607
Feet; Ankle joints: ankle joints
A61F 2/70
Operating or control means: electrical
A61F 2002/30172
Concave polygonal shapes: t-shaped
A61F 2002/30354
Made by longitudinally pushing a protrusion into a complementarily-shaped recess, e.g. held by friction fit: cylindrically-shaped protrusion and…

Family

Application10/690,941Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Oct 2003
Application10/970,679Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Oct 2004
US 2006/0041321 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Feb 2006
US 7,462,201 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,966,933 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2005/0085926 A1Published application
US 2005/0119763 A1Published application
US 7,520,904 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.